A Major Step Forward for Renewable Energy in Romania
Greenpeace, a global environmental organization, has welcomed the recent adoption of a new normative act in Romania on Thursday, November 6. This legislative development marks a significant milestone as it establishes the necessary framework for citizens, municipalities, NGOs, and small enterprises to collaboratively produce, manage, and consume renewable energy.
According to Greenpeace, this framework was long awaited, with local authorities and civil society expressing their need for such legislation over nearly three years. The organization highlighted that the new act addresses the shortcomings of the EU Directive 2018/2001, which had previously left an incomplete and non-functional legal structure for local energy initiatives. The absence of clear definitions and procedures had hindered the formation of energy communities, leaving Romania among the last European countries without a functional legal basis for citizen participation in the energy transition.
Empowering Local Communities
The newly established framework enables energy communities to install and manage renewable sources locally, share the generated energy, and retain economic benefits within the community. It provides clarity on how these communities can be formed and operated, outlines rules for energy exchange between members, and offers a foundation for active participation from citizens, municipalities, and local enterprises in the energy transition.
Greenpeace emphasized that this development is expected to create jobs, enhance social inclusion, and reduce energy poverty. Following the adoption of the normative act, the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) is required to develop several norms and methodologies. The first step involves adopting the procedure for establishing the Register of Energy Communities, which will allow their official registration and recognition.
Calls for Immediate Action
Andrei Crăciun, campaign coordinator at Greenpeace Romania, urged ANRE to quickly develop the implementing rules that will make the law functional. He also called on the Ministry of Investments and European Projects to unblock funds from the just transition initiative, ensuring that the legal framework translates into real projects involving clean energy production and consumption.
In February 2025, then-energy minister Sebastian Burduja stated that the establishment of energy communities is a top priority for the energy sector. He explained that these communities are based on open and voluntary participation, operating autonomously and being effectively controlled by shareholders or members located near the renewable energy projects they own and develop. Shareholders or members can include individuals, SMEs, or local authorities, including municipalities, according to Digi24.
Transforming the Energy Landscape
The primary goal of these energy communities is to provide environmental, economic, or social benefits for its shareholders or members, as well as for the local areas in which they operate. According to the minister, the emergence of energy communities is expected to bring about a “small revolution,” significantly reducing energy costs for homeowners’ associations, public authorities, and economic agents who will become energy producers.